Fisch talks Rudock, optimal QB performance

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – When graduate transfer Jake Rudock joined the Michigan football program in the early fall, many thought that the turnover issues that plagued the Wolverine offense over the past few seasons would dissipate.

Two games into the 2015 season, that hasn’t necessarily been the case for Rudock and passing coordinator Jedd Fisch knows it, too.

“The first game, obviously, we never want to play with three turnovers, three interceptions in a game,” Fisch said. “This past game with the sack fumble and the interception so I guess he’d be accounted for five. Which is tough because of the fact that a lot of different things go into all of those.

“The one I was most disappointed on was probably the sack fumble because that was most avoidable. He had an opportunity to kick it out there when it was hot and held onto the ball there.”

Fisch said the optimal performance for his quarterbacks would be a 70-percent pass completion percentage, a “couple” of touchdowns and zero sacks taken. According to Fisch, Rudock’s sack fumble in the first quarter against Oregon State was the first sack allowed in 76 passing attempts by U-M this season.

One of the major gripes surrounding Rudock’s play while at Iowa was that he focused too much on the “check-downs” and didn’t spend enough time airing the football out for longer pass attempts.

According to Fisch, he refutes the claim that Rudock solely focuses on the check-downs. In fact, his presence in the pocket has the check-downs finding him.

“He doesn’t seem afraid to throw the ball out there to me,” Fisch said. “What he does do extremely well is he does move well in the pocket and find check-downs. That fourth and five was probably the best play of the night. Then also there was a second and 17 where he moved forward and hit Ian Bunting and put us down there on the three or four yard line.

“I think both of those are huge touchdown assists, you could say. Although it wasn’t a touchdown pass we certainly credit him for being able to put us in that (situation.)”